{"id":34677,"date":"2024-11-12T12:28:53","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T20:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/?p=34677"},"modified":"2025-04-22T13:03:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T20:03:18","slug":"confessions-of-a-self-proclaimed-trout-bum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/12\/confessions-of-a-self-proclaimed-trout-bum\/","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a Self-Proclaimed Trout Bum"},"content":{"rendered":"

The river flows as it always has. It\u2019s a self-evident truth I find great comfort in. I dip my right oar blade into the water alongside my raft and take a patient breath. The current slows as the river widens, and I pause, looking up at the canyon walls, at my two pups perched on the raft tubes in front of me, at my own hands softly gripping the oars. This moment feels like the culmination of years of work and experience. I release a quiet giggle; if only my past self could see me now.<\/span><\/p>\n

The river\u2019s rhythm, both ancient and unhurried, carries me back to my childhood. I picture my younger self running along the bank of a stream I likely never knew the name of. Back then, family and friends had such lofty dreams for me. I could have been a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer… But life took its own course, meandering like the river I currently navigate. Unforeseen tributaries fed into my main channel, confluences with others shaped my path. Dams were built and broken, and still, the current carried me onward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t become a lawyer or a doctor. To some, my life is nothing but a disappointment. But when I think back to that little girl, I see her so clearly. This was always her destiny. She was meant to be nothing more, and nothing less, than a humble yet devoted trout bum.<\/span><\/p>\n

The river narrows, and up ahead, the water seems promising. Boulders scatter the current, forming eddies and shelter for trout seeking respite. I guide my raft into an eddy of my own and drop anchor. This feels like as good a spot as any to cast a line. <\/span>I reach for my nine-foot, six-weight fly rod\u2014the first one I ever owned, a birthday gift from years ago. This rod has accompanied me across continents, from the verdant landscapes of Patagonia to the spring creeks of New Zealand\u2019s South Island, and here, to Big Sky country. <\/span><\/p>\n

Montana is where I finally decided to settle, at least as much as someone with restless legs and a wanderlust heart ever will.<\/span><\/p>\n